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Sunday, 21 March 2010

alice's knitted dress and cardi set

I am a very lucky girl; not only have I got to spend a lot of time recently with a fabulous bunch of folk at Northwood Community Artreach, but one of them has gifted me the most beautiful children's clothes. Alice wore this knitted set wen she was a child, as you can see in the adorable picture below. It is the softest yellow wool with chocolate brown Fair Isle edgings and would look as fabulous on a child today as it does on Alice as a little girl.

The set was hand knitted for Alice by her grandmother, Cecilie (what a beautiful name) who was of scandinavian origins - hence the neat tension and simple yet striking colourwork detailing. Cecile is pictured below, right, next to a photo of Alice with her mother, Inger, a very smart and stylish lady if ever I saw one! These ladies knew how to dress, and how to dress their little ones.

I am determined to use this dress to make a replica in modern yarns so that others can dress their little girls in this style, as I think it is a warm, practical and beautiful way to clothe children and I wish there were more patterns and clothing available like this today. Any ideas on the colourway I should knit it would be greatly appreciated. I love the yellow and brown, but want to make something a little more contemporary. Perhaps a pale blue with blood organge red contrast? Or olive green with pale pink? Oh, I could go on and on...

Thank you so much Alice for sharing these with me, I shall treasure them.

More pictures soon of what the talented folk of Northwood have been working on, and hopefully of my version of the Alice dress.

I love that yellow - could you oomph ot up for the 21st century with a colour other than black? How wonderful that the original has been kept. I still mourn lost items from my youth! - especially my ruched baby swimsuits!!

I love the Fair Isle border and would love to replicate it on some Easter Eggs that I am currently knitting! Thanks for sharing Claire ... we are so far removed from European history and design down here!

I was greatly touched by your piece about my knitted dress. A lovely way to celebrate my mother and grandmother (Mormor). I am very happy that it will inspire future work and perhaps one day a little girl may wear the original outfit! Alice.